Fears Windsor could close over safety concerns

Cracks in structure of Kop end could cause stadium closure

All forthcoming fixtures at Windsor Park have been thrown into doubt after fears that cracks in the structure of the West Stand could have been caused by subsidence

Concerns were raised after the structure of the stand - famously known as the Kop End of the stadium - became apparent on Tuesday, two days on from Northern Ireland's win over Finland and during a stormy period of local weather.

"The Irish FA (IFA) became aware on Tuesday morning of some damage having been caused overnight to the West Stand," the Irish Football Association said in a statement.

"We are currently awaiting a report from the structural engineers."

Windsor Park was set to play host for the top of the table clash between Linfield and Crusaders on Saturday - in which the Crues could potentially win the league - and has big dates coming up in both May, for the Irish Cup Final between Glentoran and Portadown, and June's massive clash between Northern Ireland and Romania.

As yet, the extent of the damage has yet to be properly assessed but there are genuine concerns within the Association that the ground may be unable to host matches due to safety concerns, which would leave the authorities needing to find a last-minute change of venues, with few realistic alternatives in Northern Ireland.